Navigational buoy construction



Sept- 2, 1969 J. D. STARRATT 3,464,011

NAVIGATIONAL BUOY ICONSTIRWYIION Filed Aug. 15. 1967 jus Paw@ Supl/911" United States Patent O 3,464,071 NAVIGATIONAL BUOY 'CONSTRUCTION James Donald Starratt, Hudson, Ontario, Canada Filed Aug. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 658,080 Int. Cl. B631) 51 02 U.S. Cl. 9-8 3 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A navigational spar buoy manufactured from hollow reinforced fiber glass plastic thus giving a relatively lightweight yet strong construction. It consists of upper and lower portions and the fiotational characteristics are controlled by a plug of foam plastic which is foamed into the upper section depending upon the depth of water within which the buoy is placed. It also includes apertured sides which permit water to enter and exit from the upper and lower portions of the buoy once again stabilizing the flotation characteristics.

This invention relates to new and useful navigational buoys popularly known as spar buoys.

These are normally made of cedar or, alternatively, steel.

The cedar buoys which are relatively cheap to produce, have a life expectancy of approximately four years.

The steel buoys which are more expensive also have a relatively short life expectancy due to water corrosion problems.

I have overcome these disadvantages by providing a hollow fiberglass buoy which does not deteriorate due to corrosion, yet which at the same time is relatively light to handle. The buoyancy characteristics may be controlled by the insertion of foamed plastic to give the desired ilotation depending upon the length of chain required to anchor the buoy. Furthermore, I have apertured the walls of the buoy thus allowing water to enter which once again controls the flotatonal characteristics.

With the foregoing in View, and such other objects, purposes or advantages as may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of the inventive concept in whatsoever way the same may be embodied having regard to the particular exemplication or exemplications of same herein, with due regard in this connection being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of my device.

FIGURE 2 s a longitudinal section of FIGURE 1 taken at right angles thereto.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing a modified embodiment.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional View showing another modified embodiment.

Like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, designates the upper section of the buoy and 11 designates the lower section. The upper section is cylindrical and hollow, and is made by laying out several layers of glass fiber cloth and impregnating the same with resin in the conventional manner. The upper section 10 is shown as having end walls 12. The lower section 11 is also cylindrical but is downwardly tapered towards its lower end portion 13.

The lower section 11 has an upper end wall 14 and the two sections 10, 11 are joined together by a pop rivet 15 which extends through the upper end wall 14 of the section 11 and through the lower end wall 12 3,464,071 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 of the section 10, the connection of the two sections being wrapped by a reinforcement 16 of resin impregnated glass fiber cloth.

In a modified arrangement shown in FIG. 3, the lower end wall of the upper section 10 is omitted, as is the upper end wall of the lower section 11, and the end edges of the sections 10, 11 are complementally chamfered as at 10a and 11a, respectively, to receive therebetween an angularly disposed marginal edge portion 17a of a transverse wall member 17 which is interposed between the two sections and is secured by pop rivets 18, as will be understood. Again, the connection may be reinforced by a wrapping 19 of resin impregnated glass fiber cloth.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the tapered lower end of the lower section 11 is provided with an end cap 11b carrying an eye member 20 to which may be attached a suitable length of chain, or the like, 21, for anchoring the buoy.

In the modification of FIG. 4 the eye mem-ber 20a is supported by a sleeve-like cap 22 which overlaps the lower end portion of the section 11 and is secured thereto by pop rivets 23, the cap 22 being used in place of the aforementioned cap 11b in the embodiment to FIGS. 1 and 2.

Both the upper and lower sections 10, 11 are provided with water inlet apertures 24, and the lower portion of the upper section 10` is provided with a filler of polyurethane foam 25 to attain proper floation characteristics.

If desired, the upper end Wall 12 of the upper section 10 may be equipped with a conventional colored marker, as indicated at 26.

What I claim to be the present invention is:

1. A navigational buoy comprising a vertically elongated slender body consisting of a hollow cylindrical upper section and a hollow cylindrical lower section disposed in end-to-end relation, said sections being formed from resin impregnated fiber glass, an anchoring element provided at the lower end of the lower section, a filler of polyurethane foam provided in the lower end portion of the upper section, said sections being formed with water inlet apertures, and means rigidly securing said sections together, said securing means including a substantially tubular wrapper of resin irnpregnated fiber glass wrapped around the junction of the lower and upper end portions of the respective upper and lower sections.

2. The device as deined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that the respective upper and lower sections include lower and upper end walls in abutment with each other, said securing means also including a fastener element extending through the abutting end walls.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 which is further characterized in that said upper and lower sections have complementally chamfered end edges disposed in opposing relation, said securing means also including a transverse wall member interposed between said sections and having an angulated marginal edge portion disposed between said chamfered end edges, and fastener elements extending through the chamfered end edges and through the marginal edge portion of said wall member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 366,077 7/ 1887 Delany 9 8 2,911,658 11/1959 Stanley 9-8 3,340,553 9/1967 Jones 9--8 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner 

